is it possible

Question
QUESTION: well i have a rabit and i put it with my neighbours and well i think she might be pregnet i am not sure how to tell if it is can u please let now some signs. it has been agressive lately and everytime i touch it it avoids me   what do i do ?
should i fed it specific things and she has a nice fitted cage that she can fit in but do i need to fill it up with hay or blankets if shes pregnet? please reply michelle :) thanks

ANSWER: Hi Michelle,

If your doe is over 6 months old and she has been with an intact male that is over 3 months...most likely she is pregnant.  Rabbits are induced ovulators and don't have a "heat" cycle like dogs or cats.  The doe becomes fertile soon after the male mounts her.  There is only a very limited time each month that she can't conceive.  This is a trait found in many prey animals as it's nature's way of assuring a high number of births in order to provide food for predators.

Experienced breeders can see changes in the vaginal tissue and color.  Other than that, signs of pregnancy are pretty much the same as any other.  She will start to gain weight.  Her nipples will start to become more prominent as her hormones start milk production.  Those same hormones can make her a little edgy and she may become aggressive especially as birth gets closer.

You should provide her with a nest box.  They can be purchases at many farm supplies or can be made easily.  She will start to build a nest as birth approaches and she may act really crazy and have a look of panic in her eyes.  The box provides privacy and safety for her kits...just as she would build a nest in the wild.  Provide her with lots of hay to assist her....she will also pull fur from he chest under her chin.  That fatty area is called a dewlap.  She will need an area apart from her nest box so she can retreat and "hide" from predators while keeping a watchful eye on her babies.  Rabbits will nurse once or maybe twice a day....do not attempt to force her to feed when she doesn't want to.  Keep things as quiet and stress free as possible so that she can do her job and feed her babies.  You do not want to have to attempt to hand raise baby rabbits as they are the most difficult of all species to hand raise.  What mom provides...both her milk and cecals....are almost impossible for us to replicate.  I am also a licensed wildlife rahabber and I am one of the few that will take wild rabbits....and the requirements of wild and domestics are the same.

If she is pregnant, you should start ramping up the proteins in her food.  Do so slowly and over a period of several days.  She should be getting umlimited high quality pellets (normally pellets should be very limited) and unlimited amounts of hay (adult rabbits should always have grass hays) and include alfalfa which has a lot of nutrients.  High energy foods like kale, dandelion greens and carrot tops should also be offered...in moderation.  And keep her stress level to a minimum.

Good luck.

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QUESTION: thank you i appreciate the infomation
is it possible that it could get pregnet
under 6monthes old can i also give her dry food as well would hat be good for her if shes pregnet

ANSWER: Hi Michelle,

It is possible for her to be pregnant under 6 months.  It could be very damaging to her body as she is still so young.  I would say that the chance of her actually being pregnant is possible but less likely than if she were older.

All rabbits should have hay available at all times.  Hay is vital go a properly functioning digestive system.  Hay is also the primary way to keep the teeth in good shape.  Those teeth are open rooted and they grow constantly.  Many people will tell you to give them something hard to chew on.  That is ineffective as even if they chew on it...they just use their 6 incisors to do that.  It's how chewy things are.  Grass hays such as timothy, orchard grass, brome or oat...or a mix or them...should be available to them at all times. Alfalfa can be offered as an occassional treat to adult rabbits but can be fed free choice to pregnant or nursing females and to kits under about 6 weeks old.  A diet too high in pellets usually results in a overweight rabbit....and a fat rabbit is very prone to a potentially fatal liver disease knonw as Hepatic Lipidosis....aka as Fatty Liver Disease.  Pellets do not work the teeth and can lead to painful molar spurs which can cause all sorts of health issues.

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QUESTION: thank you so much it is exciting that she may be prgnet but shes is a bit under 6 monthes i hope she will be ok
we cleaned her cage yesterday and put news paper she ripped it all up why is she doing that ??
like you said she has would have alot of skin and fur under her neck and she does. How long will it be until she pulls it off to make the nest also what are pellets. i think i already asked but can she have dry food :)
thank you so much i appreciate it
michelle xx

Answer
Hi Michelle,

If she is pregnant, it will be rough on her body since she is so young.  Her diet should still be unlimited hay and pellets....I am assuming that is what you are calling dry food.  Send me a lst of what you are feeding her...that way we can make sure she is getting a proper diet regardless.  If she isn't pregnant or when she weans her babies if she is....you should convert her to a proper adult diet....all the hay she can eat with very limited pellets and treats.

As far as the newspaper....most rabbits love to shread things.  If you really want to see them have a good time....remove the covers and shiny pages from an old phone book and let them have at it.  And she could be showing early hormonal signs of nesting.  Give her a nest box just in case so she can do her thing.  She will most likely start pulling fur a few days prior to birth.

Baby bunnies are truly exciting.  I routinely hand wean wild cottontails....and rabbits (domestic and wild) are the most difficult species to hand raise.  Do everything you can to help mom do her job.